Just want to clarify that it’s fine to love or hate what is being rumored, just don’t piss on someone else’s parade.
Halloween Horror Nights 2021 (USH) - News & Info
- Thread starter Brian G.
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Fair. My bad for being a bit harsh, my feelings weren't meant to be directed at the status of the event as a landmark rather than its attachment to people, which I myself am still fond of, albeit it may just be my nostalgia goggles.
- Aug 18, 2017
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So what was the IP you were excited about early in the spec last year? (How innocent we were.)
- May 26, 2010
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On a general note, too, I would point out it's possible to be critical of and disappointed by the resulting lineup and also happy and excited the event is back at all. Both can be true.
I also think it's fair to wonder if (apparently) switching Halloween III to Halloween 4 was the best decision. Ditto throwing in The Exorcist. There are certainly factors beyond our common understanding, but wouldn't it be neat if we got an improvised original in those space, similar to how Orlando pulled off Hive? (Yes, they wanted Myers for the advertising, and much of the scenic/costuming still exists - I know why they did what they did. But it's still worth thinking about, especially since everyone seems keen to show up just because it's back.)
I also think it's fair to wonder if (apparently) switching Halloween III to Halloween 4 was the best decision. Ditto throwing in The Exorcist. There are certainly factors beyond our common understanding, but wouldn't it be neat if we got an improvised original in those space, similar to how Orlando pulled off Hive? (Yes, they wanted Myers for the advertising, and much of the scenic/costuming still exists - I know why they did what they did. But it's still worth thinking about, especially since everyone seems keen to show up just because it's back.)
- Jun 28, 2017
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While Halloween 4 is a weird turn of events, the maze was actually made in June (was a late replacement maze). If they spend more time with H4, this can actually be better then 2018s
- Jun 14, 2020
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I’m excited with the line up considering we had nothing last year. Better than nothing. Now is we get ANY repeat next year I will be pissed
Not sure what point you’re trying to make? I acknowledged that HHN recycles on occasion and that this year we might see some straight up repeats due to the very obvious circumstances; meanwhile, in the best and most successful of years, Knotts will run back a virtually identical lineup and somehow it’s not repetitive or stagnant?
My point was “yes HHN can be repetitive, but so are the other haunts, and they are often much more repetitive.” Nothing happening here changes that point, regardless of how much you might not like it.
Like, this is a unique circumstance; I highly doubt this would be the 2021 lineup if 2020 had gone according to plan. We wouldn’t see anywhere near this level of recycling in a different, non-pandemic climate. Pretending otherwise is just bad faith nonsense.
I get that the MO of this board is just folks in search of something (literally anything) to whine about, but at least be consistent with your criticism.
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- Jun 6, 2016
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I'm not sure if we can have a productive conversation without you realizing that the repeats HHN Hollywood are doing are all very divisive mazes.
Critique Knotts all you want for bringing back mazes year after year but it's because people like those mazes and if they don't then the maze they bring will be at Knotts for most likely 2-3 years tops.
Again I said this earlier but I wouldn't mind if HHN Hollywood did repeats or mostly repeats if they were actually good received mazes and weren't all divisive.
Also your claim about "We wouldn't see this level of reusing otherwise" is pretty bonkers considering that only 3 mazes from 2019 weren't reusing excessively from previous mazes. Yeah there's a difference between doing the exact same maze and reusing excessively to make a new product but they're pretty similar.
Turned out to be a red herring.
- Mar 31, 2020
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We aren't critiquing Knotts for bringing back their mazes. We're saying that it's weird that when they do it for years it's fine but when Hollywood does it it's controversial. And as for whether or not the mazes were divisive, are we really going to assume that they're not going to tweak the mazes? Halloween will likely be different, Exorcist will likely be different. Hell, even TCM is getting tweaked and likely improved. Judge based on what you see, not what you assume or hear.
Also, I'm sure they realize they may be divisive mazes (though that's subjective lol). Don't try to blame them for the conversation not being productive when the truth is that we're all too stubborn as HHN fans to compromise and move on.
I mean, I’m not trying to make an argument of what is or isn’t “divisive.” That’s a pretty subjective qualification, isn’t it? There’s really no honest way to measure that beyond taking anecdotal stock of what people say on message boards. Also, your personal preferences for mazes — the ones that you’d be okay with them repeating instead of these — is also completely irrelevant to my argument.
My argument is that HHN doesn’t repeat their lineups as egregiously and consistently as other haunts. This year and its unique circumstances notwithstanding, HHN consistently gives us novel experiences each year. Does it get kinda lame to see the same IPs repackaged? Yes. Does it break the immersion when we recognize set pieces from previous years being reused in new mazes? Yes. Is any of this the same as other haunts repeating their lineups for years except for maybe a couple new things, every once in a while? IMO, no. Not even close to the same thing.
If you love experiencing literally the same exact mazes verbatim year after year after year after year, I’m not here to harsh your good time. We like what we like. It’s just that these criticisms are, like I said, inconsistent. Wildly inconsistent, IMO. Maybe we just set the bar high for HHN, (and we probably should because it’s the best) but if you’re bent out of shape because we’re getting Halloween 4 again but you’ll happily go through Paranormal Inc for the billionth time, I just think you’re operating in bad faith.
Stepping in for a second but, let me bring this..point; if you will. The benefit Knotts has had with their mazes is that while yes--a majority of the mazes are repeated...it isn't like they can be the exact same maze over and over again. Each year, some change comes in and affects itself for the event; in one way or another. Knotts has been a prime candidate for "Improving your dated product"; while when the Hollywood creative team does the repeated mazes, they are for the most part; a copy and paste of that product, minus any cuts made to allow the flow of the budget to go into a larger quality maze.
Both events have flaws in their own way; but if it's one thing that I actually give Knotts the edge, is that they refine the experience and update according to the feedback and consideration of GSAT's. And they have been innovating in technology and effect works that go beyond a lot of the other events in the SoCal market). Now, that's not to say USH hasn't had great mazes at the events, especially in the past few years. But you can tell through Hollywood's events, a level of predictability that is present with most of it's mazes. Atleast with SFMM, the mazes represented do have things that can be more surprising.
:tease: :toast:
Both events have flaws in their own way; but if it's one thing that I actually give Knotts the edge, is that they refine the experience and update according to the feedback and consideration of GSAT's. And they have been innovating in technology and effect works that go beyond a lot of the other events in the SoCal market). Now, that's not to say USH hasn't had great mazes at the events, especially in the past few years. But you can tell through Hollywood's events, a level of predictability that is present with most of it's mazes. Atleast with SFMM, the mazes represented do have things that can be more surprising.
:tease: :toast:
I hope one of the tweaks is to cut the scents back a bit. I still vividly remember the smell of that house after 9 years.
- Oct 9, 2016
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I mean, Knotts doesn't always improve their mazes year after year, Paranormal hasn't changed at all since 2018 really, as far as I'm aware The Depths and Dark Entities haven't seen many major enhancements since their debut. Shadowlands got basically left to fall apart year after year till it got cut.
I get your point and partially agree with it, but i think knotts repeating mazes is more out of budget necessity to maintain 8-9 mazes a year rather than purely because theyre well recieved. If anything the additions are kinda just icing on the cake. Albeit some icing that HHN would definitely benefit from with their repeats.
I agree with that. Honestly, my thing with HHN repeats is with the same thing that you said; I wish they improve upon what was in the documents and plans that Murdy, Chris, and Hollywood's HHN team have done; because there's legitimate potential to make mazes that might be divisive, into fan favorites.
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Paranormal Inc in 2019 had a MAJOR finale change that set a whole different tone for the conclusion
The Depths added a sometimes functioning elevator scene at the beginning that was “meh” at best and a waste of time at worst
Dark Entities added a lot more video and interactive elements year two as well as cutting down on the amount of alien creatures in the maze (like Depths of Fear in Orlando, honestly)
They usually do make additions/changes, but some are much smaller than others
Knott’s really does listen to guest reviews and takes them into account when it comes to what they want to cut
Sadly, houses that receive sub par additions (like Shadowlands) often suffer an early death
HHN repeating with little tweaks is more akin to some of the lesser Knott’s improvements
We can argue this all day, but I think most have made up their mind one way or the other already
I dunno, I think Knott’s will run a maze into the ground before they even start to consider a replacement. Like HHN, I’ve gone to Knotts every year for over a decade and they really let the treads get mighty thin on those mazes. Now, those rare times when they do add a new maze, it’s a winner; but I’ve never noticed this “icing” you’re talking about. They don’t often make noticeable updates to their content; if anything, they remove stuff in order to use it for a new maze.
Other than a few notable examples like House of a 1,000 Corpses, and not counting 2021 for obvious reasons, how many direct “copy and paste” mazes have there been at HHN? Yes, IPs have been repacked and resold to us — Freddy, Jason, Universal Monsters, TCM, Walking Dead, hell even Alice Cooper. It gets old. But HHN deserves credit for at least bringing something fresh and unique to the table each time, even if a lot of it can feel familiar.
That’s what I mean when I say the criticisms on this topic are so inconsistent. I really don’t want to belabor the point any further, but another Nightmare on Elm Street maze (just as an example) that has a different concept and some novel approaches is way more desirable than a Knott’s maze I can do with my eyes closed.
I have to say, I've been on many theme park forums since the mid 00's. This one is far, far more positive than any other one I've been on. Criticism doesn't always equal whining.
I do think this is a unique year and I also think most people are happy and excited to go back to the event. It's also fine to not be ecstatic about what they've announced so far. Personally, I've sort of been feeling this way the last couple of seasons with Horror Nights. It seems like the same properties sort of creep into the event every couple of years. From this guest's perspective, the creative bar isn't pushed as much as it is down the road at Knott's Scary Farm. The bar is set differently at both parks so it’s not exactly a 1:1 comparison. Just my two cents.
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